Friday, March 27, 2009

Just in time for day-light savings to end, three new bike models to keep you salivating.

Ok, there is a little bit of stuff you need to know, but obviously, you already know about these bikes, so this is just a quick overview.

Santa Cruz Carbon Blur XCSanta Cruz’s leap into carbon will make every other bike look silly.Sub 4.5lbs frame (for a large frame), that’s pretty lightStiffer than anything else around. No really.100mm of rear travel, VPP2 suspension (climbs like a scalded cat.....maybe a little quicker?) Have you seen Dirk Peters ride his one?Only have a handful coming, first come first serve. Both orange and silver options will be available.Large ONLY for first shipment....that’s Large OK?RRP $NZ5399.00 frame only

Santa Cruz JackalSanta Cruz has redesigned their DJ bike, why? This one is 2lbs lighter, easier to do those ‘can-cans’ in mid air with and has more stand over height.We’ll all miss ‘ol humpy’, but this is what the kids want these days. And we do it for the kids!You’ll want to hurry up and finish that pump-track in your back-yard you’ve been talking about. Started digging yet?Medium only and all I could only extract was THREE from Santa CruzBlack, liquid blue or yellow (that’s right ONLY 3) in first shipment. I kind of keen on the yellow one......hmmm, now about that pump track in the back yard.......hmmmm.RRP $NZ1385.00 frame onlyMore info here;

Ibis TrannyIbis have been talking about this bike for a few months now, I think it may have been introduced over a year ago.

A light weight pump-track bike, MAYBE......I might try have to keep one of these too?Two frames available, a small frame and a medium frame. Both copper coloured (the new black?)RRP $NZ3375.00 frame only

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Right, time for a season update. Summer has been pretty good. I've changed tack a little this season and scaled back my racing over January and Febuary in favour of a strong build up in the preparation for Xterra. I'm happy with this strategy so far; i've trained well, have really enjoyed the races i have done, and can't wait for the next month. It's going to be a veritable Roto-fest; AyUp 24hr Teams race this weekend, the Highlander next weekend (doubling as NZ Marathon Champs), Xterra NZ on the 18th, and Singlespeed Champs on the 25th. It's times like this i wish the road between Rotorua and Taupo wasn't so mind numbingly boring.

Summer highlights:- The Whitestar Intrigue. The best weekends racing i've had for a while. The ever capacious and ever capable Primevil swallowed up three dudes + bikes + camping gear and got us to and from Colville where we enjoyed two days of primo racing. I won the Point Series on Saturday, came second in the Marathon to Scott Thorne on Sunday, and just loved camping on site with everyone. Highly recommended for all.- Learning how to paddle a K1. Emphasis on learning. I can now travel a record 200m before tipping out. I'd better improve before winter hits.- The weather. How sweet has it been? Hot at times (see below), but so good for training and lakeside BBQ's.

Summer bummers:- My IT Bands flaring up over Christmas, demanding a cessation of all running and riding temporarily. But out of this has come some really positive outcomes. I now stretch. I know regular massage keeps them happy. And i've changed my running style markedly. That's meant that i now run faster. Regular PB's have been great encouragers.- Working in an office with air-conditioning (likely to change to a Winter highlight). Sure, i stay cool from 7.30-4, but then i bake up like a little crispy thing when training after.- Kinloch Tri. This relates to my performance, not the event itself. That rocks. I didn't. Especially on the run, where the recurrence of my ongoing problem with stomach cramps left me wondering whether i've actually progressed in the couple of years that i've been doing triathlons. But, fast forward 6 weeks or so to the Bayfair Tri, and it finally came together. Xterra is still 4 or so weeks away so i'll be super sorted by then.

To ease back into race mode i competed in the Triple Cross and Bayfair Tri over the weekend. Triple Cross was first up, on Saturday morning and sadly i wasn't competing as an individual. I'll need a few more pay rises before i can afford something with two wheels and a motor other than my legs. So i was riding as part of the Penny Homes team. John Kirkcaldie had an awesome start but it wasn't too long before i drew level on the Mojo. Then we hit the downhill and he was gone again. I guess thats what happens when your up against the course designer who also happens to be one of NZ's finest downhillers. But as we ticked the laps off i gradually drew away to set the team up for eventual success. John went on to finish 2nd as an individual.

Sunday saw me dipping my toes in the sea off Tauranga at the Bayfair Tri. I was a little too comfortable through the swim but once on the bike i started to wind it up. A friend had kindly lent me his Zipp 808's and i was keen to make good use of them. I didn't catch the leaders but did ride the fastest split and headed out onto the run feeling good. It was my first run with Pearl Izumi's XC race flat, the Peak XC, and as i made my way around Mount Maunganui i very quickly fell in love with them. I'm looking forward to the Xterra run if only to pull them back on. I finished 8th in the end, in 60.40, and encouraged by my performance.

As mentioned, this weekend i'll be racing as part of a team with Nic and Cabin (because they have their own blog surnames are redundant) and Cameron Durno at the AyUp 24hr teams race in Rotorua. I'll also be debuting my new race bike. It represents a bit of a change for me and i'll be looking forward to showcasing it in the weeks to come. Stay tuned for more details.

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Well Done to Dirk Peters, the first racer on the new Carbon Blur XC and he takes the New Zealand under19 National Championship.

His report below can also be found on the Santa Cruz Bicycles site here;

February 28th, 2009

I was really excited about the new carbon Blur XC arriving in NZ and felt privileged to be the first rider to be racing on one. With the NZ National champs only 12 days away I’d needed to get a couple of good hit outs on it before lining up at the start for the champs in Nelson.

The Nationals course looked good. It had a lot of single track ranging from tight with technical sections to flowing & false flat. A deceptive amount of climbing was involved & towards the end of each lap there were tight, steep, fast descents. It was a fun course even though at race pace a very high effort was required.

It rained each day in the few days leading up to the Nationals & although there was a firm base, the track surface was becoming really greasy. So this made riding more technical as time went on. On race day it was pouring down non stop, it had turned into a mud bath. Some of the riders watching the younger age grade races before ours were joking that the championships looked like a cyclocross race as a couple of the steep climbs had become unridable. I don’t mind these conditions & was ready to go, no matter what.

At the gun the race tore up a smooth gravel road climb for just under 1km. The pace was furious & there were a few guys with good strength trying to hold onto the sharp end. I stayed on their wheel until a steeper pinch towards the top & attacked hard to be 2nd rider into the single track. It wasn’t long before I got an opportunity to pass the rider in front & put on more pace to start riding away from the chasers during the first lap. I was able to keep the pressure on throughout the race & rode away to a comfortable win by over three & a half minutes, taking out this years NZ U19 Mens National title.

The new Carbon Blur XC was fantastic. It is amazing to climb & although for descending the previous alloy framed Blur XC initially felt plusher. This bike is a weapon to race in any conditions & on rapid XC down hill sections I found I was able to charge with total confidence. Up until the later part of last year, I had raced on nothing but hard tail race bikes. I have definitely gained more pace on full suspension & believe this new Blur is a step up again on the previous model for outright XC racing.

The guys at Bike Culture in Rotorua have had a big input to the build spec’s of this bike and I’m happy to give a bit of a run down on it: